Stop Surrounding Yourself With Negativity

I hate this time of year. The time of year when you can't watch anything on TV without seeing a preview for a horror movie. It's not that I'm against Halloween. It's that I'm against being scared.

I learned a while ago that I am a much happier and calmer person if I avoid things that are going to scare me and lead my thoughts down "worst-case scenario boulevard."

I don't follow news channels on Facebook. I don't watch the evening news. I don't click links about children who died. I don't read police reports in the newspaper. I don't watch horror movies. I don't read controversial pieces that are going to make me angry.

You may say that this is all very naive of me... And you may be right.

But I believe that the world that I live in is not as scary as the media makes it out to be. And I know for a fact that I am happier (and therefore, a better mom and wife) when I do not surround myself with negativity.

This does not mean that I am clueless as to what is going on in the world. It is impossible to not be aware of Ebola, ISIS and security breaches, but I also understand that their effect on me (and my effect on them) is very minimal. And if that changes, then I will be able to gain information and resources from legitimate sources with factual, professional knowledge -- not the sensationalized media.

So instead of feeling like you should prepare for the worst or be up on every story that comes into your newsfeed, try stepping back from the chaos and realizing that in all likelihood you will be fine. There is no reason to convince yourself otherwise.